'Trump will hit below the belt': Here’s how Biden is preparing for June 27 debate

15 June 2024

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to face off in their first televised debate of the 2024 cycle later this month on CNN. Both campaigns are scrambling to get their candidates prepared for their first debate in four years.

The New York Times reported that Biden's advisors are preparing for a feisty 90 minutes of intense back-and-forth with the 45th president of the United States, who they don't expect to play fair despite the strict rules both campaigns agreed to. The debate, which will not include a live audience, has a format in which neither candidate gives an opening statement but rather goes right into answering moderators' questions with a two-minute time limit. A flashing red light will blink when the candidate speaking has five seconds remaining.

Both candidates will also get one minute to rebut their opponent after each question. And notably, the speaker's microphone will be cut off after the time limit has elapsed for each answer or rebuttal. This is a stark departure from their lone 2020 debate, in which Trump constantly interjected, prompting Biden to famously say at one point, "will you shut up, man?"

According to the Times, Biden's advisors are not expecting Trump to abide by the rules, and are peppering him with insults similar to what Trump might say on stage during debate prep sessions.

"In some ways, you have to be prepared for the unimaginable," former Biden White House communications director Kate Bedingfield, who assisted with his 2020 debate prep, told the Times. "So the aim of the process is to acclimate President Biden to the idea that some really awful things may come out of Donald Trump’s mouth."

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) reportedly had a hand in crafting the Trump-style insults Biden's team is rehearsing. He notably helped Biden prepare for his 2012 vice presidential debate by playing the role of then-GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan.

"“You have to prepare for someone who is going to hit below the belt,” Van Hollen said. “In that earlier debate with Paul Ryan, it was a low probability. In this case, it is 100 percent that Donald Trump will hit below the belt.”

Trump's team is preparing for the debate in a decidedly different manner. Trump campaign senior advisor Chris LaCivita told the Times that the former president's debate prep involves having "conversations" without any role-playing from staff.

"Joe Biden is going to play Joe Biden," LaCivita said.

Jason Miller — another senior advisor to the Trump campaign, insisted that the former president has "elite stamina" as demonstrated by his lengthy campaign rally speeches and "does not need to be programmed by staff" to adequately prepare for the June 27 debate.

Click here to read the Times' report in its entirety (subscription required).

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